Netflix reportedly warned UK operators that include its service with their offerings to prepare for an increase in complaints from subscribers, as it pushes ahead with a plan to crackdown on account sharing.

Financial Times (FT) reported Netflix recently held a series of meetings with operators that bundle its service into packages, notifying the companies it will verify its paying customers in a bid to stop account-sharing violations via borrowed passwords.

An FT source said there were fears operators’ call centres will be hit with complaints by subscribers who share Netflix accounts with non-paying viewers when the crackdown takes effect later this month.

Telecoms partners that cover Netflix in its bundled broadband and TV content include VM02, BT Group, Sky and TalkTalk.

Netflix has stated more than 100 million households are giving streaming access to non-family members, violating the company’s subscription terms which allows family members to share an account. This has impacted its revenue and hindered it from investing in new content.

Once the crackdown starts, Netflix customers will have to verify their addresses and accounts using the service outside the paying viewers’ locations will be directed to set up an extra membership or a “paid sharing” service.

Netflix has already faced complaints following the crackdown across Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain, causing a brief membership decline.